Football Federation Australia (FFA) has announced the Western Melbourne and Macarthur South-West Sydney consortiums will join an expanded 12-team A-League during the next two seasons.

Key points:

Western Melbourne will be added to the A-League in 2019/20, with Macarthur South-West Sydney to join the following season

FFA says the two new teams are being established in "the biggest growth corridors in Australia"

The FFA is not ruling out further expansion

The Western Melbourne team is set to join the A-League for the 2019/20 season, with Macarthur South-West Sydney to be added 12 months later.

The two preferred bids were announced by new FFA chair Chris Nikou and chief executive David Gallop.

"One of the key factors in our decision was the long-term growth opportunity for each club in each new geography," Mr Nikou said.

"South-West Sydney and Melbourne represent some of the biggest growth corridors in Australia."

Western Melbourne and Macarthur South-West Sydney were chosen from a shortlist of six bids, with Team 11 from Dandenong, former NSL club South Melbourne, Sydney's Southern Expansion and Canberra United missing out.

The six final bids were whittled down from 15 hopefuls.

Mr Gallop said the decision to add Western Melbourne and Macarthur South-West Sydney was made with the future of the A-League in mind.

"This is going to set the A-League up for long-term sustainability," he said.

"In these new locations we can ensure that the new clubs are in high-quality facilities from day one."

In her resignation from politics, Kelly O'Dwyer said she feared another miscarriage in Canberra, far from home. Her announcement is shocking for more than just party-political reasons, writes Emma A. Jane.